Mail-bag lock.



PATENTED SEPT. 24,. 1907.

11,2.V RBDDING. MAIL ABAG LOCK. APPLIUATION'VILBD MAY l15. 1907. v

1n: Nonni: nlns en.. WASHING? N. n c4 Mfg@ ROBERT EUGENE REDDING, MARION, ALABAMA.

MAIL-BAG LOCK.

No. assesses.V

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application led May 25, 1907. Serial N0 375,621.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. REDDING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Marion, in the county vof Perry and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Bag Lock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' The purpose of this invention is to provide a` lock having novel features of construction, which adapt it for a locked engagement with a constricting strap passed closely around the closed neck of a mail bag or pouch, and thus prevent access to the contents of the receptacle until the lock is opened with a suitable key.

The invention consists in the,novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the subjoined claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification', in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. .Y

Figure l is a perspective view of the neck portion .of a mail bag, and of theimproved lock applied upon an encircling strap thatis employed for holding the neck of lthe bag closed when the strap is drawn so aste foldably contract said neck;'Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lock, having a side wall thereof removed and the key-post shown in transverse section, other details of the lock being shown as they appear when the locking bolts thereof are retracted and held in such condition; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional plan View, substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional side view, taken at a right angle to the plane of the section shown in Fig. 3, and substantially on the line 4 4 in said gure; Fig. 5 is a side View of a portion of the constriction strap, showing a locking aperture therein and a facing plate secured upon the strap and having a corresponding opening registering with the aperture'in the strap; and Fig. 6 is a side View of the key employed as an adjunct ofthe lock, for working its mechanism to lock and unlock the same.

The improvement is applicable upon different sizes of mail bags or pouches that are closed by a drawn strap, l0 in Fig. l indicating the mouth portion of such a receptacle for mail matter. Upon the bag 10, at a suitable distance from the free edge of-its mouth, a preferably flat strap 1l is held loosely by keeper-loops 12, secured on the exterior of the bag at its neck.

Thelock which embodies the features of novelty and which in service is mounted upon the strap 11, comprises the following details: 13 indicates the body portion of the lock, and as shown, consists of a block, preferably constructed of metal, having an oblong rectangular shape and of proper dimensions for effective service. An oblong recess or chamber ais formed in the body 13, extending for a suitable depth to a fiat bottom -and having sufficient capacity to receive the working parts. To adapt the lock body 13 for a slidable engagement with the strap l1, two similarv slots a, of equal depth, are formed longitudinally in and through the ends of said body, essentially parallel with the side walls of the recessa, and as shown in Fig. 4, a cap plate 13 is provided for closing the open side of the lock body, said plate also covering the lateral openings in the slots,` thus converting' said slots into longitudinal passages through the lock body or casing 13. In one side wallu of the chamber a near each end thereof, shallow recesses b, b/ are formed, said recesses terminating in shoulders b2, and the side walls of the recesses are preferably rendered parallel with the epposite side wall of the chamber a. At a suitable distance apart, two lateral slots c, c are formed i'n the side walls of the chamber a, one slot c/ extending into the recess bf, that is adjacent to an end wall of said chamber, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. Opposite the slots c, c, corresponding recesses c2 are formed` in the outer defining side walls of the respective passages a', said recesses c2 forming locking shoulders for engagement with the ends of two nearly similar slide bolts 14, 14 which are details of the lock mechanism. Each slide bolt 14, 14, consists of a metal block, the body portion of which is mainly rectangular and from which projects a latch limb d, having such form and dimensions spring e/ is mounted, and presses upon the slide bolt with which said rod is engaged, thus normally pressing the nose of a respective latch limb d outward. Between the shoulders b2 before mentioned, the intermediate portion of the side wall of the chamber a is undercut, forming a channel, and the lower side of the slide bolt 14*L is cut away at the end thereof adjacent to this under-cut formation. A detent block is an essential detail, and consists of a yoke piece having two spaced limbs g, g that are fiat formations having parallel outer side edges and seated on the bottom of the chamber a. The limb gf works loosely in theunder-cut channel formed in thc side wall of the chamber a between the shoulders b2. A shoulder df is formed at the junction of each latch limb al with the body 14 or 14l of a respective slide bolt of which it is a part, and the yoke limbs g, g are so proportioned in length that they will engage with an adjacent shoulder when the latch limbs are retracted against stress of the springs e, and the detent block is pressed toward the latch bolts. The detent block is further formed with an upright rectangular member 15 which'is integral with the yoke, and the limbs g, g practically extend from the opposite sides of said member 15 of the detent block. In the cap plate 13u a key-hole s2 is formed and also opposite the detent block 15 a rectangular opening h is formed, and from the top of said detent block a tongue t' projects up into the opening h as is clearly shown in Fig. 4. ln the detent block 15 a guide rod m is loosely inserted at one end thereoi, the opposite end of the guide rod passing through a recess n in the end wall oi the lock body and thence into a socket that receives and supports said end oi the guide rod. Upon the rod m a coiled spring m is placed that exerts pressure upon the detent block, and causes the ends oi the limbs g, g/ oi the detent block to interlock with the shoulders b2 when the slide bolts 14, 14" ,are simultaneously retracted, so as to dispose said working parts of the lock as shown clearly in. Fig. 2. Centrally between the slide bolts 14, 14, a key-post o is erected from the bottom wall oi the chamber a, and opposite said key-post notches o are iornicd in the adjacent sides oi the slide bolt bodies 14, 142 The notches o are preferably iormed as arcs ol a circle having the key-pest o as a center, said arcs each terminating in a shoulder o2 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A key 16 is employed as means ior working the lock mechanism, and as shown in Fig. 6 has two bits p, p, projected oppcsitely from the body oi' the key, that is hollow and Fist loosely upon the key post o as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. I l

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, on the rotation oi the key 16 in the direction oi the curved arrow, the bits p will contact with the shoulders o2 and retract the slide bolts 14, 14n at the same time.

ln the constricting strap 11 at proper points oblong periorations r are iormed, that are disposed in the two runs oi the strap so as to receive the nose oi the latch limbs d when these members ot the strap are drawn tightly around the closed neck of the mail bag, the bolts 14, 14"l then moving toward the sides of the lock body under stress oi the spring @C The ends oi the latch limbs d are sloped transversely so as to form inclines thereon, as shown best in Fig. 3, this construction facilitating the passage of the noses of the latch 'limbs through the openings in the runs oi the strap 11` To permit the operation oi the key 1G for unlocking the lock, it is necessary that the tongue i be pushed away from the bolt 14, which will releasethe bolts 14, 14, from the ends of the locking limbs g, gf, so that they will assume the position shown in Fig. 3. The key 16 is then inserted and turned in the direction of the curved arrow in Fig. 3, which will cause the bits oi the key to impinge upon the shoulders o2, and draw the latch limbs d out of the periorations r in the strap member 11. When the bolts 14, 14n are iully retracted, the detent block 15, will be slid by its spring m/ toward the latch limbs d, d, and the toes on the limbs g, g/ of the detent block will interlock with the shoulders d, which engagement will adapt the limbs g, q/ to hold the latch limbs d retracted, and out oi engagement with the strap 11. The periorations r in the strap members may be protected from wear by securing -thin plates s thereon over the periorations r and having similar openings s/ therein, the openings in the plates permitting the iree insertion of the latch bolt limbs CZ therethrough and into the recesses in the side walls oi the passages a/, and preventing undue wear or strain being imposed upon the strap. 'lhe key 16 is oi extremely simple form, and is merely shown to illustrate the operation ot the lock, and it is to be understood that the iorm of the key and keyhole in the lock body, may be changed to make the lock more secure.

It is to be understood that when the mechanisni is placed in the lock body, the cap plate 13n is to be secured iirmly in place by rivets, that may occupy the periorations shown in Fig. 2, and thus prevent access to the interior of the lock body or case.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A lock, comprising a hollow body or casing, two rpring-pressed latch bolts disposed transversely in the casing and having' latching limbs that work in opposite side walls of the casing, means to simultaneously retract' the latch bolts, and means for rcleasably holding said latch bolts retracted.

2. A lock, comprising a hollow body or casing, two `spring-pressed latch bolts having latch limbs that work through opposite walls of the casing. means for simultaneously retracting the latch bolts, and spring-pressed relcasable means for holding the bolts retracted.

2i. A lock. comprising an oblongl hollow body or casing 'raving parallel lsides and also having two longitudinal )assages therein, one nenr each side wall. two spring- 'Jressed oppositely trending slide bolts having latch llmbs that work through the inner' sides of the casing into the aassages, means for simultaneously reti-acting the slide Bolts, and spring-pressed means for releasably holding said bolts retracted.

4. A lock. comprising an oblong hollow body or casing 'raving parallel sides, and also having two longitudinal `mssages therein. one near cach side wall. two spring 'nessed slide bolts having latch limbs and disposed transversely in the casing. said latch limbs working in openings ln the inner walls ot' the passages and projecting into said passages. the bolts being simultaneously retractable with a suitable key, and a springpressed detent block having limbs adapted for releaszlbly holding the slide bolts i'etracted.

5. In a mail bag lock. the combination with a bag, and i constricting strap thereon having locking apertures therein, of a lock comprising an oblong rectangular hollow body or casing', said casing having two longitudinal passages therethrough near opposite sides. the two l'uns ot the strap occupying these passages and adapted lo slide therein, two spring-pressed slide bolts having latch limbs and disposed transversely in the casing, said hitch limbs working in openings in the inner walls of the passages. '1nd entering recesses in the outer walls thereof att'er passingl through apertures in the runs of the strap, the bolts being retracted simultaneously by means of a key, .-1 springpressed detent block having limbs adapted to engage shoulders on the latch bolts for holding them retracted and thus releasing the strap, and a tongue on the detent block projecting through an openingl in a cap plate on the lock casing and which by sliding manipulation will release the slide bolts.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT EUGENE RElllllNtl.

Witnesses W. H. InuKiNs, P. A. H. BLACKBURN. 

